Eating Langar

[harwinder84]

FATEH!!

Some day some SUPER SMART SIKH will come up with the idea of "DRIVE THRU" CONCEPT :D :D

hahaha.....i wud have to drive thru tat person

[sikhness]

FATEH!!

Some day some SUPER SMART SIKH will come up with the idea of "DRIVE THRU" CONCEPT :D :D

hahaha.... that's hilaaaaaaaarious.. drive-thru langar..

[harwinder84]

then this super smart guys will say...guru sahib started sachaa sauda....alll sorts of things are already running in my mind

hahaha

they think langgar is some franchise business, Mcd's etc

[sikhness]

WJKK WJKF

Sangat Ji,

I feel that when a topic comes up such as this one, the only way to turn, is to the rehat maryada. Previously, I had felt the same way as LionChild, that the main thing is equality. And that it really shouldn't matter as long as all are sitting equal with each other. But later, I realized that, if we start compromising things such as this, things that make us who we are, then our Gurus would've been ashamed of us today. Like somebody said before, the Gurus did what they did for a reason, and we shouldn't try to change these things to make ourselves more comfortable. As I mentioned at the top though, we must turn to the rehat maryada in this case. I tried searching it on sgpc.net earlier, and couldn't come up with anything pertaining to having to sit on the floor or not having tables. This is all I could find:

Voluntary Service

Article XXI

1. Seva (Voluntry Service) is a prominent part of Sikh religion. Illustrative models of voluntary service are organised for imparting training, in the Gurdwaras. Its simple forms are : sweeping and plastering the floors (In older times, buildings, particularly in rural areas had mud and not brick paved or cement floors. To give these floors firmness and consistency, they were thinly plastered with a diluted compound of mud.) of the Gurdwara, serving water to or fanning the congregation, offering provisions to and rendering any kind of service in the common kitchen-cum-eating house, dusting the shoes of the people visiting the Gurdwara, etc.

a. Guru Ka Langar (Guru's Kitchen-cum-Eating House) The philosophy behind the Langar (Guru's kitchen-cum-eating-house) is two-fold : to provide training to the Sikhs in voluntary service and to help banish all distinction of high and low, touchable and untouchable from the Sikhs' minds.

b. All human beings, high or low, and of any caste or colour may sit and eat in the Langar. No discrimination on grounds of the country of origin, colour, caste or religion must be made while making people sit in rows for eating. However, only baptised (Amritdhari) Sikhs can eat off one plate.

Therefore, even though I disagree with people who want to use chairs/tables in their langar hall, I don't think it's possible to condemn them either or call them names and things like that, because that's also not what sikhi is about. Anybody who has found this langar issue in the rehat maryada in a different article or section that I may have overlooked, please let me know. Thanks.

Fateh...

[Heera Singh]

Jathedar Ranjit Singh, in 1998, made it QUITE CLEAR that tables and chairs were NOT allowed.... a Hukamnama was also stated CLEARLY against the use of tables n chairs... THEREFORE, those who use their OWN mat and stubbornness and still use t & C at gurughars are DIRECTLY going AGAINST Akaal Takht Sahib..

i's mostly dem 'moderate' sikhs (ie punjabi's) who are pro-t & c...

also.. take a look at this...

http://www.religioustolerance.org/sikhism3.htm

pretty interesting..

[The Khalsa Fauj]

Today we get chairs for langar, then we get drive throughs, then we get home delivery, then we want chairs in darbar haall with Guru Sahib being placed on 40 feet high platform. Some maryadas are made for a reason and they must be kept that way.

Langar maryada is the same. It must remain this way for infinity. As for maha-parsaad, it was served in langar in puratan times and nihung bungas still serve it.

[Lionchild]

I'm not sure about this topic becuase i understand what some people are saying how we should focus our minds on our relationship with Guru Saahib and then some saying disrespecting the Guru's teachings is wrong.

I agree with both sides but i still stand by the fact that if our Guru's sat on the floor why should we not? What is the justified reason not to have mats or chadars layed down in the langaar hall? Every Gurdwara since the Guru's times had all sangat sit down on the floor.

So my question to the person who started this topic is why haven't you talked to the Granthi of this Gurdwara you go too? Ask him why they dont put down mats but rather provide table and chairs.

I mean i understand how some older people need to sit on tables and chairs because they cannot physically sit; but others? Why?

Bull chaak maaf if i have made any mistakes.

Vahegurujikakhalsa, Vahegurujikifateh

It's understandable yes, you did not make a mistake! I think these issues should be second to the more important relationship with guru granth and waheguru. If people want to sit on the floor or chairs, that fine. When we go and argue and focus our attention on this stuff, we create anger and pride, we also loose focus of our sikhi goals?

Anyways, how about instead of seats, we could have steps? :D Lol...

[Heera Singh]

Lionchild.. u dun seem to get the point... i understand wha u sayin when u say spirituality should be our main focus n life... buh understand this, if nobody said anythin bout this type'a stuff, itt would be happenin everywhere... and then it would eventually be taken to another level (i.e. chairs in darbar hall or something)... it IS important to think bout and get involved in situations like this so things dun go too far.. people care more about 'convenience' and 'modernization' rather then maintainin and upholding principles and maryada that have been around for HUNDREDS of years, since the dayz our Gurus walked this earth in Physical form.. and like i mentioned... the vast majority of those who are FOR tables n chairs are not even practicing sikhs... these are (probably) the same people who think i's okay to have weddings in halls and take Maharaj Jee's saroop there.. and as i've mentioned, it goes AGAINST Akaal Takht Hukam... we are nobody to question dat...

there's a reason why Sree Akaal Takht Sahib was established.. Sikhs should get into political things like this (to a point.. not so much that it takes over ur life)... buh our institution was set up to settle stuff like this... i's the HIGHEST institution in Sikhi.. if Akaal Takht Sahib sends out a Hukamnama AGAINST something... we should NOT go against that... tha's people usin they own ego's and tryna start they own thingz...if we didn't get involved in 'petty things' like this den nun'a this stuff would ever get solved, and people would continue to cross the line...

Chardi Kalaa!!

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh!!

[Guest ?]

so whats the puishment for a commitee to go against akaal takt ( hukumnama)?

[sikhness]

Jathedar Ranjit Singh, in 1998, made it QUITE CLEAR that tables and chairs were NOT allowed.... a Hukamnama was also stated CLEARLY against the use of tables n chairs... THEREFORE, those who use their OWN mat and stubbornness and still use t & C at gurughars are DIRECTLY going AGAINST Akaal Takht Sahib..

i's mostly dem 'moderate' sikhs (ie punjabi's) who are pro-t & c...

also.. take a look at this...

http://www.religioustolerance.org/sikhism3.htm

pretty interesting..

Thanks for the info... The article is pretty interesting actually...